Envelope openerand sealerand stamp-moistener



(No Model.)

0.0. LANCE. ENVELOPE OPENER AND SEALER AND STAMP MO'ISTENER. No. 411,862. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

WITH/88158. Ill/VENT I? m 6% Z I By fl fi ATTORNEY 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE CoLE LANCE, 0E PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENVELOPE OPENER AND SEALER A ND STAMP-MOISTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,862, dated October 1, 1889.

Application filed August 29, 1888. Serial No. 284,042. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it kn own that I, CLARENCE COLE LANCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope Openers and Sealers and Stamp-Moisteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to envelope openers and sealers and stamp-moisteners, and has for its object to provide a combined stamp-moistener and envelope opener and sealer or paper-cutter, which shall be simple in construction, easy of manipulation, and put little likely to become worn out or useess.

This invention therefore consists in the combination, arrangement, and construction of parts, fully described hereinafter, and spccifically pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, showing one of the parts in an adjustable position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line a; a; of Fig. 1. Fig. at represents a plate of thin sheet metal from which the casing or body of the device is formed; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the knife-blade, with attachment for manipulating the same.

An inclosing-case for a suitable absorbent of moisture is formed from the plate shown in Fig. 4 by flanging or bending the plate parts a to positions at right angles to the part A. The part A is then bent toward the part A until its flanges coincide with the flanged parts a. Before the plate is bent together in this manner the part A is provided at its end with a bend or inclination adapted to form a depression in the body of the casing, substantially as shown at A in Fig. 3. The

flanges a a are cut away at their front ends in the manner shown at a to avoid sharp corhers, and such inclined parts are provided at their edges with inward bends 0, which engage with the casing part A and secure the position of the same.

The absorbent B, which is preferably a piece of soft felt, is set between the parts A and A before the part A is secured in position by the bends a and a pressure of the part A on the body of the absorbent B is thus obtained that will serve the double purpose of securing the position of the absorbent within the casing and prevent the too rapid flow of moisture to the outer end of the absorbent B. The casing-plate is provided with an extension to", which is reversely bent as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in order to avoid sharp corners in the device.

The knife I) is provided with a handle D, having flanges (1 cl on either side thereof, and a knob or thumb-piece K on its upper side. An opening g at the forward end of the frame A allows the knife to be drawn for ward and backward, and an opening or slot h in the upper plate A, through which the upper portion of the handle D projects, affords means for the manipulation of the knife. The thumb-piece can also be made as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

As explained, the handle D is formed with flanges c.- d' on both sides, the flanges forming a groove 61 between them, in which the edges i 1 of the opening 72. lie, the flanges (Z being on the upper side and the flanges cl on the lower surfaces of the edges 11 2". As will be readily understood, the position of the handle having the two flanges allows the knife to be readily moved backward and forward, the knob or thumb-piece 7cbeing provided as a means for manipulating the same.

The absorbent Bis to be made as wide or slightly wider than a postage-stamp. By placing the device in Water the absorbent B will become saturated by the water, which will enter the casing at its end and between the flanges a a and the part A. Moisture may then be readily and uniformly applied to postage-sta1nps and envelopes by going over the same with the exposed end of the absorbent B, and by adjusting the blade D to the position shown in Fig. 2 the blademay be applied to opening envelopes. The blade is held in any desired position byreason of the pressure of the absorbent B against the hair dle D.

I call particular attention to the peculiar paper-cutter consisting of a blade Dandhandle D having flanges d (1, said flanges fit ting, respeotively,'above and below the edges of the slot h, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE COLE LANCE.

Vitnesses H. C. EVERT, LoUIs MoEsER.

I I I r l 

